Abstract: An artificial cartilage is provided whereby a fixed negative charged hydrogel has been infused within a restrictive swelling network, which limits and restricts the thickness of the artificial cartilage. At least 60% of the volume of the artificial cartilage is composed of the restricted and swollen hydrogel. The restrictive swelling network restricts the hydrogel to swell not more than 10% with respect to its maximum swelling capacity, i.e. a swelling capacity to swell 10-fold more is retained. The hydrogel within the restrictive swelling network has an equilibrium stiffness between 0.5 and 2 MPa to resist external loads applied to the top surface layer or the bottom surface layer of the artificial cartilage. The hydrogel has a fixed negative charge density of ?0.17 to ?0.23 mEg/ml and is capable of swelling between 2-15 times compared to the volume of the hydrogel without being restricted.

Abstract: A method of producing 5-ketofructose using an acetic acid bacterium which is genetically modified to express a fructose dehydrogenase as well as to microorganisms which can be used in said method.

Abstract: A circuit assembly for linking different electrical voltage levels in a motor vehicle, comprising: an electric machine containing induction coils in a star circuit connection with a star point; a first switch unit containing switch elements for generating an AC voltage for the electric machine from a DC voltage of a first voltage level; a DC voltage of a second voltage level; and a second switch unit for a bidirectional electrical energy flow between the DC voltage of the first voltage level and the DC voltage of the second voltage level, wherein the second switch unit has two switch elements arranged in series in an auxiliary switch branch, wherein the auxiliary switch branch is connected in parallel to the DC voltage of the first voltage level, and each connection of the switch elements is connected to the star point.

Abstract: The invention provides a multimodal ultrasound and photoacoustic contrast agent based on polymeric microparticles having a gas core and carrying at least one photoacoustic agent in its shell that stabilizes the gas core, for use in ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging. Such multimodal ultrasound and photoacoustic contrast agent is also suitable as a carrier of drugs and for use in photodynamic therapy, and for tissue imaging ex vivo.

Abstract: A transmitter (TX) for a WDM optical link includes a light source (CS) generating a plurality of discrete lines (EL) with different frequencies (f), a plurality of modulators (FSM, RRM, MZM), each modulator (FSM, RRM, MZM) being configured to modulate one of the discrete lines (EL) according to a data stream (c1-c4), at least one optical amplifier (SOA) configured to simultaneously amplify multiple lines (EL), wherein only a subset of the generated lines (EL) is routed to the optical amplifier (SOA) resp. to each one of the optical amplifiers (SOA). A receiver (RX) for an optical link adapted to work together with the transmitter (TX) is also described. An optical link including the transmitter (TX) and/or the receiver (RX), and a method to operate said link are also described.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a photonic device with at least a first waveguide having a light-conducting core bounded by at least one cladding layer, at least a second waveguide having a light-conducting core bounded by at least one cladding layer, wherein the first waveguide is aligned to couple with the second waveguide, wherein alignment of the first waveguide with the second waveguide with respect to at least one axis C coincides with at least one stop area of the photonic device resting on a stop surface of a corresponding support structure on a substrate, wherein the stop area is a stop in a recess from a surface of the photonic device. A method to fabricate the apparatus may include the recess is formed by etching of the photonic device, and/or the support structure is formed by etching of the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a photonic device with at least a first waveguide having a light-conducting core bounded by at least one cladding layer, at least a second waveguide having a light-conducting core bounded by at least one cladding layer, wherein the first waveguide is aligned to couple with the second waveguide, wherein alignment of the first waveguide with the second waveguide with respect to at least one axis C coincides with at least one stop area of the photonic device resting on a stop surface of a corresponding support structure on a substrate, wherein the stop area is a stop in a recess from a surface of the photonic device. A method to fabricate the apparatus may include the recess is formed by etching of the photonic device, and/or the support structure is formed by etching of the substrate.

Abstract: A transmitter (TX) for a WDM optical link includes a light source (CS) generating a plurality of discrete lines (EL) with different frequencies (f), a plurality of modulators (FSM, RRM, MZM), each modulator (FSM, RRM, MZM) being configured to modulate one of the discrete lines (EL) according to a data stream (c1-c4), at least one optical amplifier (SOA) configured to simultaneously amplify multiple lines (EL), wherein only a subset of the generated lines (EL) is routed to the optical amplifier (SOA) resp. to each one of the optical amplifiers (SOA). A receiver (RX) for an optical link adapted to work together with the transmitter (TX) is also described. An optical link including the transmitter (TX) and/or the receiver (RX), and a method to operate said link are also described.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sequential broadband Doherty power amplifier with adjustable output power back-off The sequential broadband Doherty power amplifier has at least one input (I1, I2; RFin) for receiving at least one broadband HF signal, wherein the broadband HF signal or broadband HF signals (RFin) have at least an average power level (carrier/average) and a peak envelope power level (peak), with the average power level and the peak envelope power level defining a crest factor, and a first amplifier branch for amplifying the input signal, with the first amplifier branch providing the amplification substantially for the low and at least the average power level, at least one second amplifier branch for amplifying the input signal, wherein the second amplifier branch substantially provides the amplification for the peak envelope power level, wherein the output of the first amplifier branch is connected via an impedance inverter (ZT) to the output of the second amplifier branch, the junction (CN) being co

Abstract: An optically end-pumped amplifier with a plate-shaped optical gain medium has a plurality of pump laser units for optically pumping the gain medium through at least one of the narrow side surfaces thereof. The pump laser units are designed such that the pump laser radiation, upon passing through the gain medium, has an elongated beam cross section having a short axis and a long axis running parallel to the main surfaces of the gain medium and propagates freely through the gain medium with respect to the short axis. They are arranged such that in each case the principal axes of the beam bundles of the pump laser units impinge on one of the pumped side surfaces in a plane perpendicular to the short axis at an angle to one another, wherein the beam cross sections of the beam bundles are superimposed on one another.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for butt-coupling an input beam incoming from a photonic device of a second optical element to a primary photonic chip at an input interface of the primary photonic chip is disclosed. The primary photonic chip comprises a coupling apparatus. The light from the input beam is butt-coupled to the coupling apparatus. The coupling apparatus comprises a plurality of more than one single mode optical paths on the primary photonic chip. The single mode optical paths are strongly coupled to each other at the input interface of the primary photonic chip. Regions of strongly coupled single mode optical paths can correspond to one or both of distinct but highly coupled waveguides or waveguides fully merged into a multi-mode section.

Abstract: A photonic apparatus comprises an integrated waveguide, an integrated resonator in the form of a microtoroid and a thermally reflowable film. The reflowable film comprises a first film area and a second film area. The reflowable film is one of a thin film and a stack of thin films. The first film area is thermally reflown, the microtoroid is formed in the thermally reflown first film area. The second film area is not reflown in the immediate vicinity of the microtoroid. The microtoroid is optically coupled to the integrated waveguide located on or located within one of or both of the first or second film areas. The first and second film areas are directly connected to each other. The microtoroid has an edge extending along a circumference. The microtoroid can be a non-inverted or an inverted microtoroid, wherein the second film area is inside or outside of the circumference.

Abstract: The invention relates to an amplifier assembly.

Abstract: A phase noise detection apparatus comprises a laser beam, an optical resonator coupled thereto at a coupling point and a photodetector receiving light from the laser beam. The laser beam and the resonator coupled thereto convert phase noise of light transported by the laser beam prior to the coupling point into intensity noise of light transported by the laser beam thereafter. Intensity noise is converted into an electrical signal by the photodetector. The electrical signal is sent through a first signal path and a second signal path such that the first signal path transports a signal substantially proportional to the intensity noise, which is integrated in an integrator in the second path. Relative gain of the two signal paths can be adjusted and the overall gain of the signal path is preferably such that the optical phase modulator at least partially cancels said phase noise in the optical domain.

Abstract: An optical data link has a transmitter and a receiver with coherent detection at the receiver and more than one optical carrier frequency. The optical carrier frequencies are generated by a frequency comb source in both the transmitter and the receiver. The frequency comb sources generate frequency combs that have frequency components and a free spectral range. The optical carrier frequencies transport more than one optical channel. Either at least one frequency component or the free spectral range of the optical comb generated at the receiver is locked to the comb generated at the transmitter by an optical phase locked loop, or an electrical phase locked loop or a feed-forward carrier recovery generates an intermediate frequency carrier reference that is routed to more than one channel to demodulate the data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transmitter front-end device for generating output signals representing a digital stream, wherein the device has at least one first input for a first input signal and at least one second input for a second input signal, with the first input signal and the second input signal representing a complex data signal of the digital stream and being intended to influence an output signal of the transmitter front-end device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stable optical cavity, in which an obstacle is formed or arranged on the optical axis in the form of a through-opening in one of the mirrors or of an input- or output-coupling element, in order to enable a direct geometric access to the optical axis. The mirrors of the cavity are arranged such that a degeneracy of a plurality of transverse eigenmodes of the cavity occurs without an obstacle, by the combination of which an intensity minimum is obtained in the cavity with an obstacle at the position of the through-opening or of the input- or output-coupling element. With this configuration an optical cavity of high finesse which has a position of maximum intensity on the optical axis can be realized.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for a transmitter for a multi-channel communication system for sending real-time sensitive data D, wherein the communication system has n sub-channels, wherein n is greater than 1, wherein the sub-channels are spatially different and/or the sub-channels have different frequencies. The method comprises the steps of receiving information about the channel state of the n sub-channels, receiving information about the number of statistically independent sub-channels m, wherein m is less than or equal to n, and receiving dataD intended to be sent.

Abstract: A method for performing magnetic resonance measurements on a sample includes applying a first predetermined number of pulse trains for excitation, each pulse train having a constant amplitude and including a second predetermined number of pulses spaced by a predetermined time interval. The pulse trains are modulated by a bent function. After each pulse, data is sampled. Preferably a square number of pulses is generated being constant in power, and the Walsh transform of the sequence of their phases is constant in power, so that the power of the excitation in time and frequency domain is constant. The method can reduce power requirements and may permit undercutting specific absorption rate (SAR) limits due to the small excitation power necessary to create time signals with reasonable signal to noise ratio.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for modifying trajectories.